"Yes," she said, turning away so he wouldn't see her torn expression. "That one. So now that you know, if we're going to recover it before the wedding, we need to discuss how to get started."
"Wait," he said, panic coating his tone. "Before the wedding? What wedding? Not ours. We're not getting married. That's not happening."
He could've punched her for as hard as her chest ached. That's right: they weren't getting married. But the fact that the prospect seemed so appalling to him made her ill.
His reaction suggested that marrying her would be the worst sort of fate.
Why, exactly?
No. She didn't care. She'd stopped caring a long time ago.
Keep not caring.
"Not us," she said a little snippier than she'd meant. "Sam and Ash. She and I promised each other whoever got married first would wear the ring as their something blue. Since you and I … Since we, uh … Since the ring is available, I insisted that Sam wear it on her big day. My mom would've wanted it that way."
He scratched the back of his neck as if he was trying to get caught up on the last few minutes.
Rolling her eyes, she offered the caveman CliffsNotes version. "Blue ring is missing. Sam needs it for the wedding at the end of the week. We need to find it ASAP. Got it?"
As far as he was concerned, Sammie did need it for her wedding and that was the only reason they had to get it back. It had nothing to do with the fact that deep down Kenna couldn't stand to be without the only connection to her past-not only with her mom, but with Bear, too.
The last thing she wanted was for him to think she'd brought the ring, and told him about it, because she hoped he'd once again slide it on her finger.
He bent to pick up the empty beer bottle from the ground and set it on the bar. "Was anything else taken?"
"Not that I could tell," she said. "And the weird thing is, my room wasn't disturbed at all. Like, you'd think my mattress would've been turned upside down. Drawers opened and things thrown all over. The only thing different was the drawer by the bed where I kept the ring box. It was left open. That's it."
"If the person's good, he won't leave a trail," he said. "Overturned mattresses and trashed rooms only happen in the movies."
The suspect knew where she'd placed the ring. Did that mean he'd scoped her out? Was it a guest at the wedding? Someone she knew?
She tried to ignore the chill racing down her spine at the thought.
"Was anyone in your room with you when you were putting things away? A bellhop or maid? Anyone who would know you put the ring in that dresser?"
"No," she said. "I mean, I opened the curtains and the balcony door, but our rooms are so high up. It's not like someone could come in that way, right?"
Their rooms were at least five stories up. Not impossible but not probable, either.
A high-pitched squeal sounded, then an echoed tap, tap, tap.
"Is this thing on?" Luke's voice said through a chuckle. "How's everyone feelin'?"
The guests quieted from their private conversations to direct their attention to the stage, where Luke stood with an arm around his wife-to-be. The two looked so in love with each other, smiling and staring into each other's eyes like they wanted to recite their vows right then and there. It was really sweet.
Kenna gave a disappointed frown. "Guess we have to sit for dinner now. Want to meet up after and work out a plan of action?"
"Sure," he said, but the way he said it, so offhandedly, wasn't reassuring.
She started to walk toward her table, but his next comment made her stop. "I'm gonna see if anyone around here fits the description of the guy you saw. Make use of the time while we're stuck here."
She spun to face him. "But, if you find a suspect, you aren't going to do anything until you come find me and let me ID him, right?"
He stared at her with a slight smirk.
"Right?"
Still nothing.
"Bryan," she demanded. "Say you'll come get me."
"You'll come get me."
She let out a growl she didn't know she possessed. "You know what I meant."
"Calm yourself, woman." He bent to speak into her ear with a gravelly voice. "I'll come to you when I'm ready for you. Not a minute before." And with that, he breezed past her with the gait of man who could command the world to do his bidding with a single flick of his finger.
And she knew from experience just how commanding those fingers could be.
Chapter Four
Tyke sat at his assigned table, waiting for the serving staff to bring pieces of some fruity cake the size of quarters. He had no interest in dessert, but he couldn't get up until the end of the event. If he left early, it would raise a red flag, and then Luke and Ash would want to know why. He couldn't tell them about Kenna's ring because he didn't want them to worry, and he sure as hell didn't want to be a dick because he left early for no good reason. He was a douche sometimes but never intentionally to hurt his friends.
So he sat, listening to Cass's boss, Assistant Principal Myers or Miggers or something, going on about how the mayor of Baltimore had invited him to her house for dinner to get the AP's personal thoughts on the direction of the inner-city school system. Tyke occasionally glanced in the direction of the couple from earlier, Richard and Claire, two tables over, noticing how as the evening progressed, their posture and demeanor declined. Worry was clear on both their faces.
He kept his peripheral vision locked on Kenna as she floated around the area, smiling and conversing with others. Someone with an untrained eye would think she was just making small talk, but Tyke knew better. She was fishing for information that might lead to the suspect. As soon as she realized the person she was speaking with couldn't help her, she politely smiled and moved on to the next.
Kenna left a wake of sunshine behind her. Everyone she spoke with looked happier and more content as she bid them farewell. He used to love that about her. How easily she could work a room and make everyone around her immediately feel comfortable. Tyke, on the other hand, was only good at avoiding people and scaring little kids. Which came in handy with his job, but her talent would make it much easier to get information this week about the alleged theft.
This week … He almost laughed. This week was going to suck. Dealing with his hot-as-fuck ex, who seemed to get even hotter in the last decade. Looking for a ring he was supposed to have slid on her finger as his wife. And now feeling like he needed to protect her from some faceless Joe who might break back in to her hotel room.
God almighty … when she'd said the asshole had been in her room. That she'd seen someone and could've stumbled upon him while he was still there … Tyke fisted the tumbler in his hand, almost shattering the glass from the pressure. She could've been hurt without anyone knowing until it was too late.
What did the guy want with the ring anyway? To pawn it?
And how in the hell did he know she had it?
If Tyke never had to think about that sapphire ring for the rest of his life, he'd be ecstatic. It was nothing but a reminder of everything he'd wanted but had to give up. As that thought came to him, just as quick another idea formed: this could be his chance. If he could track down the thief and get the ring back, then she'd be happy. Too happy to be pissed at him anymore, right? While she was basking in the heavenly glow of satisfaction-because he found the ring, not because of anything else he did to her, though God knew he wanted to give her other satisfaction, too-he'd finally be able to tell Kenna why he didn't come back. She could leave the resort knowing he wasn't wholly a bad guy. That he'd saved the day this one time, and he'd ultimately done what was best for her in the long run. It was almost too poetic.
First step: he needed to learn more about this dark-haired guy she saw outside her room.
Turning, he shot a look back over his shoulder. The person on the other side of Claire got up and headed toward the bar.
Tyke shot from his chair, cutting off whatever Assistant Principal Mutters was saying about the mayor. He didn't seem too upset, though, just turned to the person on their other side and kept going as if there hadn't been an interruption.
Bryan lowered into the seat next to Claire.
"Hi," Tyke said.
She started and spun toward him, clutching her chest. Richard's eyes narrowed, and he swayed forward, hovering over his chair.
Tyke threw his hands up, palms out. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you."
Claire inhaled a breath, and Richard lowered back into his seat.
"I'm Bryan," he said. "I'm a groomsman. I work with Ash and Luke."
"Hello," Claire said, offering a relieved, cordial smile. "I'm Claire. I work with Cassandra. This is my husband, Richard."
He shook the other man's hand.